Miss Vietnam Global 2009 Alex Tran shares with Tuoitrenews her New Year resolution and her thoughts on life as a socially–involved Vietnamese–American graduate student in the US. What did the year 2011 mean to you? Are there any special things you want to share with readers? 2011 was a big year of learning for me. I started my Masters in Finance degree, and I am set to finish it this May 2012. 2011 was also a busy year because I started wedding planning! My fiancé and I are doing most of the work ourselves in order to have more meaning in everything with the wedding. Overall 2011 was a beautiful year with no regrets! What is your 2012 resolution? My resolution in 2012 is to better manage my stress since I have school, wedding planning and home life. I started doing yoga in 2011, and I will probably do more in 2012 for both fitness and stress management.

What do you and your Vietnamese relatives usually do for the Lunar New Year (Tet) in the US?

Every year I go to a “cho hoa” (flower market) and “hoi cho tet” (Tet festival) with my family and friends. At the “cho hoa” I try to buy a new pot of “bong cuc vang” (yellow daisies) to bring in the new year. Especially since my cousins are getting older, I try to take them to the festivals so they can learn more about Vietnamese culture. One of my favorite traditions since I was a child is going to different people’s homes to “chuc tet” (offer New Year wishes).

Young people nowadays seem too busy with work and their social lives to spend time with their family, even for traditional festivals like Tet. What about you?

Family has increasingly become more important to me as I get older. Now that I have my fiancé’s family to call my own, I feel very blessed. Growing up, I was very close to my parents, even when I was away for college. Now that I’m a bit older, I realize that it’s ok to be far away or not in constant contact with your family…as long as everyone still genuinely cares for one another. Most importantly, it key to remember during the holidays to reserve time for family… which means no cell phones or emails during family gatherings.

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